Chef Juliette
The Seasoning of Salads
Five dressings, one governing lesson: match fat and acid to the salad itself, from tender lettuce under fresh cream to bitter dandelion leaves glossed with hot bacon fat.
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Simple Salads
Created by Chef Juliette
Based on No. 1985, Simple Salads, from Le Guide Culinaire (1907) by Auguste Escoffier
Five leaves, one living rule: laitue, romaine, chicorée, mâche, or pissenlit must be washed, dried, and dressed only as they go to the table, while every leaf still carries its light vinaigrette.
Salads
French
Weeknight
Quick Meal
Budget Friendly
20 min
Active Time
0 min cook•20 min total
Yield4 servings
Salades vertes simples teach timing. The finished leaves should be lively and cool, each carrying a fine gloss of vinaigrette without a puddle beneath it. The one true thing to know is this: a dressed leaf waits for nobody.
The source entry is professional shorthand, a catalog of laitue, romaine, chicorée, batavia, mâche, pissenlit, and the other leaves a garde-manger was expected to recognize, prepare, and season by judgment. It gives no brigade quantity or dressing formula because the salad station already had both at hand. The honest home translation is one bowl for four and a small three-to-one vinaigrette. A separate salad station is scaffolding; clean, dry leaves and last-second assaisonnement are the dish.
Choose one leaf for a salad with a clear character, or combine a few compatible ones for contrast. Dry them until a towel pressed against the leaves comes away clean, then wait to dress until everyone is ready to eat. That final minute decides everything.
The salade verte belongs to the everyday French table rather than one province, appearing at household suppers, Lyon bouchons, and Paris bistros alongside the main dish or before the cheese. The classical repertoire treats laitue, romaine, chicorée, batavia, mâche, pissenlit, celery leaves, purslane, and other greens as distinct simple salads, not merely interchangeable parts of a mixed bowl. Its long catalog records practical market knowledge: each leaf demanded its own trimming and handling, but all shared the same rule of immediate seasoning and service.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
laitue, romaine, chicorée, batavia, mâche, pissenlit, or a compatible mixture
Quantity
8 loosely packed cups (1.9 L / 220 g)
trimmed and separated into leaves
red wine vinegar
Quantity
1½ tablespoons (22 ml / 22 g)
fine sea salt
Quantity
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml / 3 g)
freshly ground black pepper
Quantity
¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml / 0.6 g)
mild salad oil, such as sunflower or grapeseed
Quantity
4½ tablespoons (67 ml / 61 g)
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| laitue, romaine, chicorée, batavia, mâche, pissenlit, or a compatible mixturetrimmed and separated into leaves | 8 loosely packed cups (1.9 L / 220 g) |
| red wine vinegar | 1½ tablespoons (22 ml / 22 g) |
| fine sea salt | ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml / 3 g) |
| freshly ground black pepper | ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml / 0.6 g) |
| mild salad oil, such as sunflower or grapeseed | 4½ tablespoons (67 ml / 61 g) |
Equipment Needed
- •4 L basin or large mixing bowl
- •Salad spinner
- •Small whisk and 300 ml bowl
- •3 L broad saladier or serving bowl
Instructions
- 1
Choose and sort leaves
Discard yellowed, slimy, or badly bruised leaves, then trim according to character. Leave mâche rosettes whole after cutting away the root tuft, tear large laitue and romaine leaves along their natural divisions, and cut only the toughest chicorée or pissenlit stems. Choose one green for a distinct salad or combine tender leaves with a modest amount of something bitter. Hold back one small handful of dry leaves until the dressing is judged; it will join the bowl at the finish or rescue an overgenerous hand.
- 2
Wash and dry thoroughly
Lower the leaves into a large basin of cold water and move them gently with open fingers. Let the grit settle, then lift the leaves out instead of pouring the water away over them. Repeat with fresh water until no sand remains, paying particular attention to mâche and pissenlit. Spin in loose batches and spread the leaves over a clean towel until completely dry. If they are limp, soak them in very cold water for five to ten minutes before spinning. Ça se rattrape. Water left on the surface, however, dilutes the vinaigrette and prevents it from clinging.
Do not crush tender leaves into a packed spinner. Two light batches dry better than one crowded one and leave the edges intact. - 3
Build the vinaigrette
Whisk the vinegar and salt until the salt dissolves, then add the pepper. Pour in the oil gradually while whisking to form a light, temporary emulsion. Taste it on a leaf, never from the spoon alone, because the green changes how the acidity reads. If it is too sharp, whisk in oil one teaspoon at a time; if it tastes dull, add vinegar by drops and another pinch of salt. Ça se rattrape. A vinaigrette naturally separates while it stands, so whisk it again just before dressing.
- 4
Assaisonner at the table
Assaisonnement, the final seasoning and dressing, happens only when the meal is ready. Put the dry leaves in a broad bowl, whisk the vinaigrette, and spoon two-thirds of it around the inside wall rather than dropping it heavily onto the centre. Lift and turn the leaves gently from the bottom until every surface carries a fine sheen. Taste one leaf and add only as much remaining vinaigrette as it needs. If dressing pools underneath, lift the salad into a clean dry bowl and toss in the reserved leaves. Never apologize at your own table. Correct it and carry on.
- 5
Serve without waiting
Add the reserved leaves if they were not needed for rescue, toss once more, and serve immediately while the greens remain crisp and distinct. Tender laitue should fold softly, romaine and batavia should keep their bite, mâche should remain in little rosettes, and chicorée or pissenlit should give the bowl its pleasant bitter edge. À table!
Chef Tips
- •Laitue and mâche are tender and mild; romaine and batavia bring crisp ribs; chicorée and pissenlit bring bitterness. Use the freshest leaf in front of you. Cooking well is not cooking fancy.
- •Whole heads usually keep better than cut leaves, but a fresh bag of mâche is an honest weeknight ingredient. Reject anything wet, flattened, or darkening inside the package.
- •A mild oil lets delicate greens speak. For a salad dominated by mâche or pissenlit, you may replace one tablespoon of the mild oil with walnut oil, keeping the total quantity and three-to-one proportion unchanged.
- •Never refrigerate a dressed salad for later. The vinaigrette draws water from the leaves, and no amount of chilling restores their texture.
- •Serve the salad with an omelette, roast chicken, charcuterie, or a piece of cheese and bread. It needs no decorative garnish and no ceremony beyond prompt eating.
Advance Preparation
- •The leaves may be washed and dried up to 24 hours ahead. Wrap them loosely in a clean towel, place them in a covered container, and refrigerate until needed.
- •The vinaigrette may be mixed up to five days ahead and refrigerated in a closed jar. Let it lose its chill and whisk or shake it thoroughly before use.
- •Keep leaves and vinaigrette separate until the table is ready. Once combined, the salad must be served at once.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 77g)
Calories
145 calories
Total Fat
15 g
Saturated Fat
2 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
13 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
300 mg
Total Carbohydrates
2 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
1 g
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